


icarus vs the sun

by brightsee



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-28 01:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10820952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightsee/pseuds/brightsee
Summary: Veronica learns of Icarus when she is eight, how he flew too close to the sun, his wings melting, and fell to his death. She doesn't understand it then but at sixteen, when she meets Betty Cooper, her metaphorical sun, she understands. But maybe, unlike Icarus, she'll have someone there to catch her when she falls.





	icarus vs the sun

**Author's Note:**

> i could not resist comparing veronica's love for betty to the story of icarus. I love this so much. hope y'all like it too!

 

_ “You, the radiant sun; and I, poor Icarus” _  
  


_ -an eight word story (based off [this](http://cwrivergayle.tumblr.com/post/158660403617/an-eight-word-story) post) _

 

Hiram Lodge was always full of wisdom. Every story held a purpose, a reason, and a moral Veronica must learn from. Because of this, she heard countless stories growing up, her father reading and reciting tales that one could always learn from. At the end, he would turn to her and say, “and what do we learn from this, meu amorzinho?”

Every little moment was a teaching lesson.

When Veronica was seven and desperately wanted a Barbie dream house, the one that Jessica had, she looked up at her father with big eyes and asked as nice as she could without begging. He patted her on the shoulder and turned her down. “If you want something you must earn it.”

Veronica pouted, stomped her foot, and said: “how?”

He chuckled, a deep rumble through his chest. “In my day if I wanted something I had to do chores around the house for my mother to gain a few dollars and save up.”

“But we have a maid!”

Her father frowned and shook his head, “meu anjinho, if you want anything in this world you must work for it.”

Veronica saved every penny she earned from working around the house, money from every tooth she lost, and from every visit with her grandparents who would slip her five dollars on her way out. It took her months to save up for that doll house but in the end she proudly emptied out her piggy bank at the register, receiving the doll house in return, and she’s never felt prouder. Jessica had been given such a gift but Veronica had truly earned it. 

When she is sixteen her father, her  _ papai _ , is arrested and charged with numerous counts of embezzlement and fraud. 

Her mother sits her down and explains to her that they’re leaving the city. All their money is gone but there’s a house left in her mother’s name, residing in some small town that held no significance to Veronica. Frankly, she was more concerned with leaving New York, her friends, and the only place she’s ever known. 

When they’re driving to this new town, Veronica remembers a story her father had told her when she was eight, before she was too old for bedtime stories. It was a story from greek mythology, of a man named Icarus and his father, Daedalus, who were trapped in a tower. The only way to escape was through wings that Daedalus had made, of feathers glued together with wax. He had warned his son not to fly too close to the sun or the wax would melt, nor too low or feathers would get wet. 

And what did Icarus do? He forgot his father’s warnings, he flew higher and higher, too close to the sun, that it had melted the wax of his wings. Icarus fell to his death, landed in the sea and drowned. Her father had looked at her and asked her, “and what have we learned from this,  meu amorzinho?”

Veronica stares up at him horrified. “To listen to our father?”

He chuckles, “not quite.” He runs a hand over her dark hair, a warm touch. “The sun is a powerful thing. There are things in this world that you will want with all your heart, things that will blind you, and you’ll want to fly too high, to touch the sun. But you mustn’t, for your wings will melt and you’ll only end up hurt.”

She nods solemnly, thinking she understands the moral of the story. She’s only eight and it’s all a little confusing, but she goes along with him, takes in his words and vows not to fly too close to the sun. Even if the sun is beautiful and she desperately wishes she could reach up and touch it, to feel the warmth on her fingertips. 

Now at sixteen, she understands what her father had meant by reaching for the sun and getting hurt. He had been too greedy, sinking to illegal activity, and in the end his wings had melted and he fell into the sea. It was selfish, ignorant of him, and Veronica hates him a little for it. Because after years of teaching Veronica lessons, he had not been able to learn from them himself. 

She wishes she could see her father, just one last time, to ask him, “and what did you learn from this, papai?”

Still, it’s a lesson learned. And, of course, it all goes out the door when Veronica meets Betty Cooper.

She walks into Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe to pick up an order, her gaze catching two teens in a booth along the windows. Veronica pulls down her hood, and she doesn’t know what motivates her, but she finds herself walking towards them. The red headed boy can’t stop looking at her, drawing her near. 

As she reaches the table, the one he’s with looks up at her, and Veronica is blinded. It’s like she’s staring into the sun, radiant blonde hair, green eyes, and the most beautiful smile. Her name is Betty Cooper and when she talks, when she laughs, and smiles, Veronica is just gone. Her metaphorical sun and downfall. 

She can hear her father in her head, reminding her to protect herself, that if she flew too close to the sun she would only end up hurt. Veronica doesn’t care about lessons learned, only sees Betty and her blinding beauty, and she’s filled with want. She wants to fly too close, wants to touch the sun, to feel Betty, to feel the warmth on her fingertips, no matter if her wings melt and she falls into the sea. 

Icarus, once thought a fool because he flew too high and fell to his death; Veronica thinks she understands it now.  

Now matter what Cheryl says, if Archie chases her attention, her focus is solely on Betty. And maybe she’s a little intense at first but she feels it in her heart, that they’re destined to be together. Veronica can’t get enough, constantly reaching for her and wanting to be around her. Betty, her radiant sun and the center of Veronica’s universe. 

Veronica knows she’s been staring at the sun for too long that she doesn’t notice the subtle changes in Betty. How sometimes she’ll inch a little bit closer when they’re watching a movie, how she leans forward when they’re talking, how she smiles whenever she sees Veronica, how she now reaches for Veronica and laces their fingers together as they walk down the halls. 

She had already fallen, her wings melted. Poor Icarus, she thinks. 

But then Betty is there, reaching out, pulling Veronica in, and kissing her. Veronica doesn’t fall to her death like Icarus, but she does fall. Luckily Betty is there. She has the softest lips and Veronica leans into the kiss, reaching up and pulling her closer, fingers tangling into her ponytail. 

Veronica pulls back, Betty absolutely beaming, her lipstick smudged and a flush to her cheeks. She reaches up with her free hand, thumb wiping at the corner of her mouth where a darker shade of red stands out from Betty’s soft pink lips. She searches Betty’s eyes, dark green and hooded, and she just needs to know she isn’t dreaming.

Betty shakes her head, seemingly reading her mind. “I’ve been waiting for you to kiss me for months.”

“But-I thought-you-what?”

“Veronica Lodge, tongue tied?” She chuckles, pulling Veronica closer. “Is this okay?”

“God yes,” Veronica breathes, capturing Betty’s lips in another kiss.

Her father may have warned her to keep away from the sun in fear of getting hurt, to never want anything too much, to always learn your lesson. Veronica thinks it’s all bullshit. Betty shows her that in order to gain anything, you must go after what you want, even if that is the sun. She doesn’t fault Icarus, she too had chased the sun, only when she fell Betty Cooper was there to catch her. 


End file.
